We are all familiar with the big name phone case makers. I don’t need to mention them specifically, but we know who they are. One does waterproofing and one does rugged. But what if you could have the best of both worlds and some style? Luckily you can and its made possible by a company called Catalyst.

Catalyst makes rugged, waterproof cases for iOS devices. Their cases not only protect your devices from drops and water, but they are also very sexy, or at least as sexy as a rugged, waterproof case can be.

I know you might be saying how can these cases be this good if we have never heard of them. Well, they are and here at Steel Point Outdoors we have put Catalysts products to the test. As avid hunters, fishers, outdoorsman and athletes, we have tested these cases in some very harsh and unforgiving situations.

The waterproofing and drop protection just works so damn well. I have had other rugged waterproof cases and always shied away from actually using the device in the water or extreme situations. They were always the last resort in case contact with water was unavoidable. With Catalyst, I regularly use my devices while in the water. I no longer feel the need to take my watch off while fishing so I can reach into a stream, lake, or river. Because of their phone case, I don’t feel the need to bring a separate waterproof camera with me on outdoor adventures. I can strap my phone to the front of my quad and grab great footage and I know without worry that my phone is safe from the damage. Because of their phone case, my iPhone has become my outdoor camera. I no longer need to bring an extra waterproof device to capture great footage and pictures.

Some of my favorite features are how sleek, slim, attractive and easy to use their products are. All of the other cases I have used to protect my phone while outdoors were so big, bulky and a pain to access simple features like charging and headphone ports. Catalyst has taken all of that into consideration and has made a case that can be used daily with ease. For instance, something as simple as making the charging port access large enough to accommodate MOST after market cables. I can’t tell you how much I love this feature. Not having to use Apple only cables is awesome. One of my other favorite features is that this case blends in well in a more professional setting. Their cases are not as big and bulky as some of the competitors and their design still allows the iPhones features to show through, specifically the clear back on their phone case. I can now rely strictly on one case and no longer have to worry about switching cases because the one I was using outdoors wouldn’t fit in the pocket of a pair of business casual pants or the meeting in the conference room on Monday morning.

The bottom line is this. If you need a rugged waterproof case that not only looks good outdoors but indoors as well, then look no further than Catalyst. Their cases will serve all of your needs, and keep your gear protected in the most rugged of environments.

The PowerTac USA E5 flashlight is one of the best in its class. It comes backed with a lifetime warranty, it’s rugged, and waterproof. This tactical flashlight will take a beating and keep on going. It is the perfect tactical, home defense, or EDC flashlight.

So you bought yourself a fancy new Apple Watch and like me you are terrified of cracking it. It might be because you are clumsy and smack it off of stuff, it might be because you are naturally rough on things, or it might be because your job is rough or in harsh conditions. No matter what the reason Catalyst has you covered, literally. In case you haven’t figured it out, todays review is on the Catalyst Case for Apple Watch.

*Before we get into this let us start by saying that we are Catalyst Lifestyle Brand Ambassadors. That means we get free stuff for our honest reviews. That being said, we were using Catalysts stuff long before they asked us to be brand ambassadors.

This case is by far the best I have ever used. It’s waterproof, rugged, stylish and accepts any 24mm two piece watch band. I like having the ability to mix things up and change out my watch band periodically.

The band that Catalyst includes is great. It is a silicone sports band that sheds water and sweat and so far has yet to show any signs of wear or tear. Thats pretty impressive for a watch band that gets treated the way mine does. Oh, swapping bands couldn’t be easier. Catalyst has put a small hole on either side of the watch case so the you can stick a push pin, paper clip, or SIM card extraction tool right into it and pop the spring pins out to change your band. It seriously takes less than 30 seconds to change your band out for a new one.

Let me tell you how many times this case has saved my watch from being just a broken glass paper weight. I smack this thing off of stuff all day long and it just keeps on going. Now this case does not have a built in screen protector, so a direct impact on the screen will still result in a scratch or break. That being said, I use a an Armorsuit screen protector in conjunction with this case to make sure my screen does not get scratched. This case will keep your watch looking like new and from getting dinged, dented, scratched or broken from impacts. The case has a raised edge around the screen which helps in keeping it from direct impacts. It comes in three color combinations, white w/ green accents, grey w/ orange accents, and stealth black. I prefer the grey w/ orange accents.

So not all does it protect your watch from drops, spills, dunks, dings and dents, it does all of this while maintaining complete functionality. Heart rate monitors, charging and all other sensors work perfectly.

All in all this watch case is great. It does everything it is intended to do from waterproofing to ruggedizing. It is hands down the best case on the market for the Apple Watch. I can honestly say that because I have used several other cases, including the Lunatic Epic, and not one of them has offered the same level of protection that the Catalyst Case does.

As an AV Technician my EDC directly reflects that role. I carry a variety of things that make my 9 to 5 easier, and most people will probably find out that they don’t need the variety that I carry daily. I will start by listing everything I carry and then we will discuss it individually.

Leatherman Wave.

iPhone 7 Plus.

UAG or Catalyst phone case.

Apple Watch in a Catalyst Case.

Apple AirPods.

Maxpedition Micro wallet.

Condor iPouch. ( everything listed from here down goes into the condor iPouch)

Bushnell mini flashlight.

Niteize pen.

Flash drive.

3″ lighting cable.

Bandaids.

Leatherman bit kits (2) and drive extender.

Chapstick.

1 triple A battery for flashlight.

Lets talk about why I carry what I carry. I am going to lump some of this stuff together just so this post doesn’t get too crazy long.

Number one on our list is the Leather Wave. I picked this tool because of its size, weight, outside accessible tools and pocket clip. I needed something that would replace my edc knife and my Leatherman Mutt. My edc knife varied from day to day and the Mutt was just too heavy and limited for edc. So after weeks of research and comparing tools, I settled on the Wave. I feel the Wave has the best of both worlds built into it. While it isn’t the beast of a multitool that the Mutt was, it is definitely not a medium or light duty tool either. It has all of the functions I need for my daily job, wirestrippers, cutters, scissors, knives, interchangeable bit drivers, files and pliers (both needle and regular). It happily fulfilled my need as an actual multitool. Next, it needed to feel the gap where my pocket knife used to be. And yes, I used to carry both and know many people who still do, but I don’t need both weighing me down or taking up valuable space. The Wave has two outward, one-handed accessible knives. A plain edged blade and a serrated blade. Both are awesome and because of these I have found myself not needing a dedicated edc knife. NOW that being said, I still carry a separate knife when hunting, fishing, hiking, or camping and it’s usually a fixed blade.

Number two on our list is iPhone 7 Plus. This one is simple. I moved from Android to iOS for personal reasons and bought the 7 Plus strictly for the camera. I like taking pictures and hate carrying my full size DSLR unless I absolutely have too!

Number 3 is our phone case. I currently have a UAG case on my iPhone 7 Plus but only because my favorite company, Catalyst Lifestyle, has yet to release their iPhone 7 Plus case. I personally choose Catalyst over other manufacturers because their cases are waterproof, rugged , and sexy. Or at least as sexy as a rugged, waterproof case can be. And let me tell you, this case has saved my ass on more than one occasion! They make an amazing product. PSSST, for legal reasons we have to mention that we are Catalyst Lifestyle Brand Ambassadors. If your not sure what that means, we get free stuff in exchange for our honest review of the products. That being said, we were Catalyst Case owners and proponents BEFORE we became ambassadors.

MOVING ON!

Number four is our trusty Apple Watch in a Catalyst Case. Say what you will about smartwatches, I have found mine to be an awesome tool, even while in the great outdoors. I really do love the fact that I can answer a phone call or read a text while stream side WITHOUT removing my phone from my pocket. Some of you might say ” why would you want to do that?” Simple, when you have kids or family you always want to be in touch to make sure everyone is okay. You can also download some pretty cool apps for the watch that will enhance your outdoor experience. And again, our Catalyst Lifestyle Apple Watch Case keeps our Apple Watch from getting wet and destroyed while out adventuring. Just like their phone cases, the Apple Watch Case adds that extra level of rugged protection and waterproofing that some of us need. Again our statement about being Brand Ambassadors from above applies here as well!

Number five on our list is going to get me called fan boy but that is okay. APPLE AIRPODS. Let me tell you how much I wanted to hate these stupid looking things. But a friend purchased a pair and let me use them and damnit they are awesome. I love the control I have just by tapping them, I love taking calls with them, listening to music is a joy and my FAVORITE part about them, is charging them. I plug the case in at night to charge and then the headphones themselves stay charged all day just because I put them back into the case when they are not in use. It is brilliant. I love them even though I wanted to hate them in the worst way.

Number six has us looking at the Maxpedition Micro Wallet. It is a nice flexible codura wallet that holds the right amount of cards, business cards, and cash. It doesn’t bulk up and won’t take up all of the room in one of your front pockets. It has an ID window for quick and easy access. It is by far my favorite wallet, and after four years of use it is just now starting to show some wear and tear

Number 7 is our trusty Condor iPouch. This pouch holds the rest of our gear so we will just include everything else in this section. First up is our Bushnell mini flashlight that runs on one AAA battery and is 50 lumens. Next in our pouch is the Niteize pen, pretty simple its a write anywhere pen with a screw on cap. Our next item is a small 64gb flashdrive and only because I work in the A/V and IT fields. After the flashdrive is a 3″ lighting cable. This makes recharging super easy, just find a usb port for a quick top off. Bandaids, self explanatory. Our next item is our two Leatherman Bit kits and extenders. These three items give me all the bits I could ever need through the course of my day. These are some of my favorite items. Chapstick, again self explanatory. And finally one spare AAA battery for my flashlight, because I hate being in the ceiling looking for a cable and having my light die.

That pretty much sums up my every day carry. I prefer to use the Condor iPouch even though everything would probably fit into my pockets just because I can lighten my load pretty quickly just by taking the pouch off. It also makes driving and desk sitting (which now that we have standing desks doesn’t really happen) a lot more comfortable. The Leatherman Wave has helped my cut down on extra or double gear and my iPhone has helped save my shoulder and neck from the weight of that DSLR! Feel free to leave comments or suggestions. Have a question, reach out to us via email matt@steelpointoutdoors.com